Global car sales at a number of major manufacturers have risen for November, according to company figures.

A number of price-cuts and incentives in September had seen October's sales in Europe fall by 2.3 per cent, but global sales in November have been encouraging, with diesel vehicles continuing to do well.

Worldwide sales at German company BMW rose 9.5 per cent in November to 114,044 units, partly due to the popularity of its new BMW 3-Series saloon.

Michael Ganal, head of sales and marketing at the company, told Reuters: "We can already predict that we will be the most successful supplier in the premium segment worldwide for 2005 as a whole."

Mercedes, the premium branch of DaimlerChrysler, has reported a 1.2 per cent rise in sales of its Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands during the first 11 months to 1.94 million cars.

The news comes as the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders predicts that UK car sales for 2005 are set to hit a five year low, with sales down by 15.5 per cent for November.


Ÿ Adfero Ltd